This application claims the priority of German Application No.: DE 102004033175.8 filed on Jul. 9, 2004, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a fastening element for a spoiler wing of a motor vehicle on an adjusting cylinder which adjusts the spoiler wing to lifted and lowered positions.
The connection of a rear spoiler or of a spoiler wing of a motor vehicle with an adjusting cylinder takes place by means of at least one fastening element which, on one side, is held on the adjusting cylinder and, on the other side, is fastened to the spoiler wing. The fastening can take place by way of screwing devices or bayonet-catch-type connecting elements.
It is an object of the invention to create an improved fastening element by means of which the adjustable spoiler wing can be connected with an adjusting cylinder by a simple mounting.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing passenger cell for a passenger vehicle having a B-pillar on each side of the vehicle body, a device being provided to increase the transverse rigidity of the passenger cell in side impact loads behind the front seats, said device comprising a closed hollow beam running approximately horizontally across the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, lateral ends of the device being connected to the adjacent B-pillars, wherein the device is situated approximately at a shoulder height of a vehicle occupant and comprises a central hollow beam offset to the rear in relation to the B-pillars and connected in a force-transmitting manner at its two laterally exterior ends to the B-pillars which are in front as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle via curved side parts as seen from above.
Additional advantageous characteristics of preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein and in the claims.
Important advantages achieved by means of the invention are that the component parts of the fastening element consist of easily producible rotating parts which, for a mounting for the purpose of holding the spoiler wing, only have to be connected with one another by a mutual screwing-together.
Thus, according to the invention, the fastening element comprises a receiving element which is connected with an outer tube of the adjusting cylinder and has a molded-on centric threaded pin. This threaded pin is connected with a fit-on sleeve which directly carries a spoiler wing, and the spoiler wing is held between this fit-on sleeve and a fastening nut. As a result, it is advantageously achieved according to the invention that the adjustable spoiler wing can be fitted onto the adjusting cylinder stationarily held in the vehicle body and can be fastened by means of the fastening nut. The simple mounting method is such that the adjusting cylinder with the receiving element is rotated into the fit-on sleeve which is, in turn, held in the fastening nut.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, so that a firm fit of the spoiler wing is ensured, the receiving element has a centric elevation on its contact surface, which elevation receives cup springs in a centering manner and is supportingly situated opposite a plate of the fit-in sleeve. As a result, a firm fit with a compensation of tolerances is ensured between the receiving element and the fit-on sleeve.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, for the centered arrangement of the fit-on sleeve and thus also of the additional parts of the fastening element as well as for the sealing shutting-off of the outer tube of the adjusting cylinder, the plate of the fit-on sleeve has a stepped edge area which is placed in a fitting manner onto a face of the outer tube. In particular, the plate of the fit-on sleeve has a collar-shaped recess provided on the outer edge, which recess is supported on the face of the outer tube of the adjusting cylinder.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the fit-on sleeve has a centric sleeve part molded on to the plate, which sleeve part has an internal and external thread and a hexagon socket and is constructed for the connection with the fastening nut by way of the external thread. By means of the hexagon socket in the sleeve part, the fit-on sleeve can be screwed into the spoiler wing. By way of a bore in the outer tube, the receiving element is screwed into the fit-on sleeve by means of a tool, the plate being supported on the elevation of the receiving element as well as on the face of the outer tube.
In the following, the invention will be explained in detail by means of an embodiment illustrated in the drawing. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous combined characteristics which the person skilled in the art will expediently also consider individually and combine to appropriate additional combinations.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.